The Ultimate 10 days in Switzerland with Kids! Our Full Day-by-Day Itinerary
At a Glance: 10 Nights in Switzerland with Kids
For this trip, we’ve broken it down as follows:
⛰️ 5 Nights in Wengen
⛴️ 2 Nights in Lucerne
🍝 3 Nights in Lugano
For this itinerary to work, its best to land Zurich in the morning, since you’ll be taking multiple trains to get from Zurich -> Wengen. If your flight doesn’t land in Zurich until later in the day, you might want to consider spending the first night in Zurich, exploring the old town and having dinner there, and then making your way to Wengen first thing the next morning.
Want a printable version of this itinerary? You can download it here! 👇
Day-By-Day: The Best 10 Nights in Switzerland with Kids
Day 1 – Fly into Zurich; Train to Wengen; get groceries and explore the town; Marble Run Challenge
Day 2 – Stay in Wengen (sleep here): Männlichen; Cow Playground & Lieselotte Family Trail Hike; family fondue dinner
Day 3 – Lauterbrunnen: Staubbach Falls, Bike Ride (or walk) in the Valley, Trümmelbach Falls
Day 4 – Grindlewald & Pfingstegg Mountain Fun: Zip line, Mountain coaster, Playground, Hike (or ride) to Glacier Gorge
Day 5 – Mürren: Funicular to Allmendhubel Flower Park and playground; Explore village Optional paragliding from Mürren
Day 6 – TRAVEL DAY to Lucerne (sleep here, or try the town of Weggis by boat); explore Old Town, Chapel Bridge, chocolate & cheese shops
Day 7 – Mount Rigi: Historic Cogwheel Train Ride to Mount Rigi, Hike the Kid-friendly Panorama Trail; Cliff Walk, Playground at Rigi Kaltbad,
Day 8 – TRAVEL DAY to Lugano (sleep here): boat ride to Gandria, Olive Tree Trail to Lido San Domenico for swimming in Lake Lugano,
Day 9 – Mount San Salvatore: Funicular to top; visit church at the summit for epic views & photos, playground, tourist train, Lakeside dinner
Day 10 – Morcote & Old Town Lugano: Boat ride to Morcote, climb Santa Maria del Sasso, lunch on the water, Parco Scherrer, Old Town Lugano Piazza for Sunset Dinner & Gelato
Day 11 – Fly home via Milan or Zurich (train + flight)
The Best 10 Nights in Switzerland with Kids: Full Itinerary & ALLLL the Details:
Day 1- Travel Day to Wengen & Getting Settled
✈️ Fly into Zurich Airport
🚆 Take the train to Lauterbrunnen. It is about 2.5 hours. You do have some other options on transportation, but this is the most practical both time and $$ wise. We do not recommend hiring a car for this trip!
🚂Then you hop on another (very short!) train up the mountain to arrive on Wengen. This is a short but beautiful 15 minute ride up the mountain with the ABSOLUTE BEST VIEWS of the valley and the mountains.
Arrival in Wengen: We always book through Wengen Apartments - more details on our favorite rentals in Wengen (and hotels if you prefer that!) in this blog post. Once you arrive in Wengen, you’ll have to transport your luggage either up or down a steep hill, so pack accordingly. (This is a “car free” town however there are some vehicles for hire you can pre-arrange with your accommodation to help you if you need it!). Once you’ve dropped your bags, you’ll want to visit the town grocery store (COOP) to get supplies for the week.
This is a long day of travel, so depending on what time you get here, plan to have dinner, stare at the amazing views, and just relax. If it’s earlier in the day or evening walk around town and explore.
🔴 Make sure to do the Marble Run Challenge in Wengen at some point. Right in the center of town, you’ll find the Wengen Tourismus (tourist information office) where you can buy a small ball (referred to as a marble, but it’s the size of a baseball!). Then, all around the town there are these cool homemade wooden ball runs where kids can put the balls and watch them go through these cool contraptions, made out of everything from poles to snowboards and at some of them the kids can even race their balls against each other. My kids loved to bring there ball with them everywhere, so before or after dinner they could find a run near us and play. We did this everyday we were here.
🛏️ Night 1 Stay: Wengen Apartments
🍝 Dinner: just be aware most of the restaurants in Wengen are only open till 9-10pm so check ahead of time if you want to eat dinner in town or plan to eat before arriving up the mountain. There is also a small grocery store, Coop, right when you get off the train that you can buy drinks and groceries at and since you will be spending the next 5 nights here. But be aware the grocery store closes at 6:30pm everyday. I like to have some home cooked food or even just groceries anytime we are not staying in a hotel. We grabbed some fruits, veggies, snacks, meats, cheeses, bagels and protein bars - mostly things we can either just pack for a hike or feed my kids for breakfast so we would not be eating every single meal out.
Day 2 - Cow Playground & Männlichen
☕ Wake up early and get coffee and breakfast at ToGoKaffeehaus. They have great espresso drinks and some bakery options but not a full breakfast menu. You want to get up early not only because of weather but because the trains and cable cars get busier as the day goes on.
🚠 Take the cable car up to Männlichen - the famous cow playground. The Cable car leaves from right in the center of the town in Wengen.
📸 Immediately upon departing the you depart the cable car, be sure to ask someone to take your picture under the Männlichen “top of the alps” sign that overlooks the valley below.
🛝 Explore the famous Cow themed playground surrounded by breathtaking mountain views. You can book your ticket using the link below but it’s not necessary. We got our tickets when we got there and had no issues. The cable car hours vary depending on season so make sure to check the website for hours. Book your Swiss Cable Car or Gondola.
💵 Pricing for Cable car: 58 CHF (Swiss Francs) for Adults Round trip Wengen <-> to Männlichen, 10 CHF for Kids round Trip. (As of July 2025 that is about $65 US Dollars for adults and $11 for Kids).
We particularly enjoyed the Children’s Lieselotte trail- which started in Mannlichen at the top of the mountain when we got off the cable car, and ended in Holenstein- the halfway point down the mountain to Grindelwald.
Once you arrive in Holenstein- there is another amazing playground. You can enjoy before getting on the gondolas and going back up the mountain to Mannlichen where you started.
In Männlichen:
* 🚠 Access: Easily reached via cable car from Wengen or Grindelwald
* 🏔️ Scenic Views: Enjoy 360-degree views of the Swiss Alps: Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau
* 🛝 Play: this is a playground like you have never seen before, with a giant cow you can play inside, slides, climbing structures, a wooden bowling game, in-ground trampolines … we spent HOURS HERE!
* 🍔🍺 Eat & Drink: there is a full service restaurant here, with tons of great options that your kids will love like burgers and fries, along with more traditional, Swiss dishes!
* 🥾 Hiking: Männlichen is the starting off point for so many amazing hikes. The famous panorama Trail was closed while we were there, so we did the Royal walk first, had lunch and played at the playground, and then did the children’s themed trail- the “Lieselotte trail”.
Pro Tips:
1. This hiking trail, while it is “family friendly” it is still a steep descent, so make sure you have good hiking boots, and it is NOT stroller friendly at all so make sure to have a child carrier to wear them if they are little kids.
2. Pick up the children’s trail maps at the start, and let your kids have fun finding all of the challenges.
3. There is no shade on this trail, so wear sunscreen and bring lots of water.
4. For the gondola ride back up - one of the gondolas has a karaoke experience inside for free! So wait and board that one for a fun experience!
🫕 Dinner at La Fondue. Make sure to make a reservation. It’s a staple to get Fondue while in Switzerland and we went here and very much recommend it.
Day 3 - Staubbach Waterfall
🚆Take the train down to the Laterbrunnen Valley
🛍️ Walk and shop around town
🗻 Visit Staubbach Falls - the famous waterfall (FREE). You have to walk up a pretty steep windy hill although it’s only about 10 minutes of this and then climb into the waterfall. It is very wet and can be slippery and you do get a little wet from the falling rain drops so plan to wear a rain jacket and sneakers or hiking boots. You don’t have to go all the way into the waterfall if you don’t want to but even my 3 year old was able to do it. You could end up waiting in a line because people do form a line but it was no more than 30 minutes, I would say we waited 20 minutes. Again, the earlier you go in the day the better but you really don’t even need to go all the way to the end to see the full effect.
Inside of Staubbach Falls
If you make it all the way to the end, you get this amazing view and a little spraying from the falls
🍕 Lunch in Laterbrunnen - there is a small strip of restaurants lining the Main Street here to choose from
🚲 You can rent bikes from Imboden Bike Rental and there is a path to ride them go to Trümmelbach falls. Another cool famous waterfall. You do have to pay an entry to hike up into the waterfall. But, you can bike there and just see it from afar if you don’t want to pay. If you choose to go inside it is a small hike with some stairs, about 20 minutes max.
Alternative to renting bikes:
-Take the train like you are go back to Wengen but don’t get off there and take it to up to Kleine Scheidegg.
🥾 Hike Kleine Scheidegg → Wengen via Via Alpina
Difficulty: Moderate (mostly downhill)
Distance & Duration: ~7 km, ~2.5 hours
Trail Experience: A scenic downhill through alpine meadows, pastures, and along the famed Lauberhorn ski run.
Day 4 - Adventures at Pfingstegg
Travel to Pfingstegg. To get here, it is a bit of travel but I promise it’s SO WORTH IT. Again, the earlier you start the better as trains and cable cars get busier as the day goes on! There is so much for the kids to do here, we spent about 3-4 hours there but you could easily spend the day here!
🚆Start: Wengen-> Laterbrunnen -> Zweilütschinen -> then to Grindelwald -> Cable car up to Pfingstegg.
Enjoying the views at the top of Pfingstegg!
Waiting to get on the mountain coaster. You can buy one time tickets or multiple times so your kids can ride it a couple times! Ages 4+ can ride alone but if you have a kid smaller than 4 they can ride on your lap as you control the speed.
Things to do in Pfingstegg:
⛰️ Fly-Line (Zip-Lining for ages 4+)
🎢 Toboggan Run (Small mountain coaster for ages 2+)
🛝 Playground and bounce house
🍕 Bergrestaurant Pfingstegg - Mountain View restaurant with panoramic view. They serve everything from traditional German food to burgers, salads and fries.
🥾Hike down the mountain (about 60-90 minutes) to the Glacier Gorge. This is a moderately hard rock hike so I would recommend ages 10+.
🧊Book the Glacier Gorge Walk: This walk takes you right to the entrance of the glacier. It’s a 1KM walk and it is a little wet and cold but soooo cool to be inside of. The prices vary by day and time but you can book them ahead of time for a better deal. Inside of this Gorge there is a suspended net referred to as the “Spider Web”. (You don’t need to book ahead but it can and prices vary).
🍝 Dinner at Ristorante Da Sina in Wengen. This is a cutest family run Italian place with the best pizza. We went here twice in 5 days (once for lunch).
Inside the walls of the Glacier Gorge
Basically anyone can do this “hike”. My dad 71, had knee surgery just 5 months prior to this trip and he did this walk no problem as it’s not hills, but a flat but a little wet walk through this cave.
We walked out onto the “Spider Web”, which is this strong thick rope shaped like a web. You can see and kinda feel the cold rushing water beneath you.
You don’t have to do is. It is optional, it is just on the side as part of the walk.
** IMPORTANT : This net is wide and so not suitable for little little kids to walk on alone as they could loose a shoe or something. We took my 3 year old out there but held him.
Day 5- Allmendhubel "Flower Park" Playground
Morning:
☀️ Start by taking the train from Wengen to Lauterbrunnen -> Take the cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp -> take the Mürren Railway (BLM) train from Grütschalp to Mürren. From the Mürren Train Station, walk about 1/2 mile to town, buy your ticket at the Allmendhubel Funicular station, and ride the funicular which goes through the mountain and will drop you off at Allmendhubel!
Visit the Allmendhubel "Flower Park" Playground and learn about all of the different Alpine flowers!
Relax at the adjacent panorama restaurant or sun terrace, while keeping an eye on the kids—perfect for both play and scenic breaks
Then, wander the Flower Trail (less than half a mile loop) with educational info boards, only about 30 minutes
Consider hiking down the Children's Adventure Hike for more fun: secret forest playgrounds, picnic spots, bridges, slides, a zip line, and amazing scenery
Alternatively, catch the funicular back to Mürren if you have little kids or don’t want to do the trail.
Afternoon (OPTIONAL):
🪂 Do Airtime Paragliding from Murren. We did the Tandem Paragliding Flights - which felt the most safe! I was VERY scared and we did this for my son’s 10th birthday. The instructors were so helpful and helped calmed my nerves. You have 2 options to choose from:
Classic Tandem Flight (around Interlaken)
Duration: ~20–30 minutes of flight time (total experience about 1.5–2 hours, including tutorials and a small 15 minute walk up the mountain).
Take-off Point: Beatenberg, Niederhorn, or Schilthorn, depending on conditions.
Price Range: CHF 130–250 depending on the location and time of year.
What to Expect: Soaring over lakes, villages, and the mighty Alps. This is a standard beginner flight where you get to relax and enjoy the scenery.
Extended Tandem Flight
Duration: about 40–60 minutes
Price: CHF 200–350.
What’s Unique: Longer flight with a chance to catch thermals and experience soaring above mountain ridges. A perfect choice for those who want a more immersive experience.
Day 6 - Travel day & Explore Historic Lucerne
Start early!! This is very important because trains will fill up. This is a long day and the trains come and go fast so you don’t want to miss one and have to wait. Make sure to get snacks, food and drinks before starting the journey. You will take 3 trains a total of about 2 hours 45 minutes total travel time.
🚆Wengen -> Laterbrunnen -> Interlaken Ost -> Lucerne
🛏️ Stay: Hotel Des Balances in the heart of Old Town, that has great spacious rooms, that are good for family setups. Ideal for walking to major sights, the ferries, and the bus station.
Once you arrive in Lucerne. Get settled and then head out to explore the Old Town or Altstadt of Lucerne.
Walking the promenade and shops in the old town of Lucerne
Lucerne’s Famous Chapel Bridge
📍Walk The Chapel Bridge- Europe's oldest covered bridge
🍫Visit Max Chocolatier -The famous chocolate shop
🧀 Visit the famous Cheese Store - Cheese Barmettler
🛍️ Explore the town and shops
🌇 Walk the waterside Promenade
🍕 Have dinner - there are so many amazing restaurants to choose from if you walk around this area depending on what you are looking for.
Day 7 - Hike Mount Rigi
☕🥐 Breakfast and coffee to fuel up for a day of hiking
🥾 Hike Mount Rigi or Mount Pilatus. We did Mount Rigi because it is easier for kids!
Rigi Panorama Trail:
Duration: 1.5 to 2 hours
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Distance: 2-2.5 miles
Start/End Points: The hike begins at Rigi Kulm (the summit) and goes down to Rigi Kaltbad.
Highlights:
Stunning panoramic views of the Swiss Alps and nearby lakes (Lake Lucerne and Lake Zug).
Gentle, well-marked path that gradually descends (making it easier for kids compared to a steep ascent).
Lots of opportunities for taking breaks and enjoying the scenery.
The trail is mostly wide and smooth as you can see in some of the pictures below!
Tips:
You can take the Rigi Railway up to Rigi Kulm, which makes it easier for the kids to start the hike at the summit.
There's a playground at Rigi Kaltbad where the kids can enjoy after the hike.
Day 8 - Travel to Lugano & Boat Ride to Gandria
Morning:
🚆 There is a direct train from Lucerne -> Lugano. About 1 hour and 45 minutes ride. Spend 3 nights as the last leg of your trip in Lugano.
🛏️ Stay: We recommend staying at the Novotel Lugano Paradiso - very centrally located and a great place for the price. For something a little higher end - stay at Lido Seegarten on the promenade. I have stayed here on another solo trip years ago and absolutely LOVED everything about it!
Boarding the boat in Lucerne to Gandria
Afternoon:
🚢 Take a boat to Gandria
🍝 Eat Lunch at one of the little restaurants in Gandria (we liked @ristoranteantico!)
🌳 🫒Walk the Sentiero dell’ olivo path (30 min) to Lido San Domenico (NOT STROLLER FRIENDLY)
👙Spend a few hours swimming in Lake Lugano
🍻🍦Have popsicles, drinks amd snacks at the Lido restaurant
👖👗Bring a change of clothes, get changed
🚶♀️Walk the path from Lido San Domenico back into Lugano for dinnner!
Views from the walk of the Sentiero dell’ olivo path
Views from Lido San Domenico
The water is deep so its not little kid friendly unless you brought some rafts or water wings
We held my 3 year old and let him get wet but even the adults couldn’t really stand here
Day 9- Mount San Salvatore
🥐 Breakfast and coffee at your hotel
🚂 Take 9 am Funicular to Top of Mt San Salvatore
⛪️ Walk (mini 10 minute hike) to the top of the church for the best views
🛝 Play at the playground for little kids (this is a small but cute place to burn some energy)
🪻 If you have a little kids who can’t hike far, explore the nature theme trails at the top of the mountain , then have a lunch at the restaurant and take the funicular back down
🥾With kids 6+, start the trail to Melide - this is about a 60-90 minute hike down the mountain
🍕Stop in the adorable town of Carona halfway through to have lunch at a grotto or a picnic that you pack
🚐 🚢In melide, take bus or boat back to hotel for quick change then have dinner on the promenade
Tip:
In the center of town, make sure to take the Tourist Train that takes you around the downtown area. This costs about 9 CHF and you can hop on and off where you want to! It looks like a kids toy train but life size and is so fun for kids! The full route is about 40 minutes if you done get off at all.
Day 10
Morning:
🚢 Board the Ferry in Lugano to Morcote (you can buy tickets at the ferry terminal)
🌇 In Morcote, Start at Piazza Grande and stroll the lakeside promenade
⛪ Climb to Santa Maria del Sasso - From the village center follow the stone stairways up to the Santa Maria del Sasso church (20 minute walk up stairs)
🏛️ Explore the famous narrow alleyways and artisan shops
🍝 Lunch at Ristorante Al Battello – On the lakefront, lovely terrace that serves seafood, salad and pasta.
⛲ Walk Parco Scherrer - A park that you can wander through its exotic gardens and sculptures
Evening:
🛏️ Go back to hotel and pack up/ let kids have some downtime
🍝 Dinner
🎠 Ride the Carousel on the promenade
🍨 Get Gelato and watch the sunset by the lake
Day 11 - Fly home
✈️ From Lugano take a one hour train to Milan and fly home from there!
FAQ
Q: Do you need to buy the Swiss Travel Pass?
A: No, but I would say it is dependent on what you plan to do on if it is worth it. The Swiss Travel pass The Swiss Travel Pass gives you to unlimited travel in Switzerland by train, bus or boat. The Swiss Travel Pass is available for 3, 4, 6, 8 or 15 consecutive days but it can get very pricey. For this trip we got the The Swiss Half Fare Card that gives you to a 50% discount on all journeys in Switzerland by train, bus and boat. The Swiss Half Fare Card is valid for one month, including for panoramic routes, gondolas and mountain railways. Best of all - when you buy the Half Fare Card for an adult - you get your kids free through. All 3 of my kids were free!
Q: Where should our family base ourselves for our trip to Switzerland?
A: Our favorite place when wanting to see the stay in the Swiss Alps and have to pick a town is WENGEN. I will pick this as my top choice every time, not only because of location but just views and the quaintness. We recommended these places for this specific itinerary because of location and because we have personally stayed in them with our family. As we know there are a lot of factors when choosing a place to stay so we recommend what we like but know that might not be the price point or doable for everyone. We usually have extra family members with us (like my parents or one of my sisters) and so we know what places are truly family-friendly. Read more about How to find the best hotels and rentals when visiting Europe.
Q: Do the playgrounds ever close for winter or colder months? What is the best time of year to Visit Switzerland with kids?
A: Yes, some playgrounds do close. The cow playground is specifically open late May through mid-October. The playground only opens once the mountain lifts are running, and closes when the gondolas or cable cars are shut down for the off-season. I recommend always checking the specific playground you want to visit ahead! Read our full guide on The best playgrounds to visit in Switzerland.
Q: How do you handle luggage when using trains and changing trains and platforms?
A: Pack light! We had each of the kids have their own backpack and then I had a small carry on and backpack. Switzerland has lots of hills and steps so you will be trekking it everywhere. Also, getting on off trains with a lot of luggage is not ideal so pack as light as possible!!!
Q: What do we need to pack to wear in Switzerland?
A: A rain jacket, good hiking boots or athletic shoes and layers. The weather can change from the bottom to the top of the mountain so always pack some layers. That being said - DO NOT overpack! You want to easily be able to carry everything - we each had one backpack (kids included!) plus 1 small rollerbag that we ALL shared.
Q: Do we need to buy Switerland train or cable car tickets ahead of time if we are traveling with kids?
A: No, but I always suggest that you start your days early. You can also book them ahead of time using the SBB mobile app.
Q: Do you need a rental car for a trip to Central Switzerland (Wengen, Lucerne, Lugano)?
A: No, we did this itinerary without a car. You can take trains, cable cars and funiculars to get all over! (You might have to take a cab or uber to get from the airport or train station but they were pretty short distances). You can absolutely rent a car if you like to but we did this last year on our Euro trip and found that even though the convenience of the car was great; some towns don’t even allow you to have a car (Wengen is car free) and parking is hard and expensive in some of these cities. The Switzerland transportation is the cleanest, most efficient best public transportation i’ve ever seen in the world.
